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Remodeling Kitchens Design Dilemma

keep the funky island shape?

last year

We just bought a house with an interesting kitchen. We’re talking about updating soon - I like the funky island, but I want to ensure we have good seating (for at least 2) and storage options. Thoughts?

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Comments (10)

AnnKH
last year
Congrats on your new house!

The island shape would make more sense if the seating was not on the work side, in front of the cooktop. Because 2 sets of knees can't occupy the same space, it looks like seating for 3, max.
fireduckling
Original Author
last year
Thank you! It’s exciting. Would you flip the curve for seating so it’s closer to the door? Or would you change the shape entirely
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To save money and because I love my granite countertops, we're reusing them. So some things are set in stone (literally). Everything to the left of the sink can't be moved (especially the gas stove). I can rearrange what's under the countertop to the right (so I could switch the dishwasher to be closer to the sink, but when the kitchen was u-shaped, I had put the silverware drawer to the right of the sink and the dishes in the cabinet above it so I could easily put things away - whether from the sink or the dishwasher. I can still move some stuff around because the cabinet maker hasn't come yet to build the missing base cabinet (24") and the new 21" cabinet which I designed to go all the way down to the countertop (like the corner pantry next to the fridge to use as a pantry since we don't have a lot of storage space for food. The countertop on the island is only 14" deep because the bar was already in place when the countertops were installed. I could remove the bar and make the countertop all one height but it would probably leave an ugly seam and the grains would go in different directions. Everyone in the family is tall (except my MIL in her wheelchair) and there isn't that much seating, so the bar stools are/were actually used a lot
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AnnKH
last year
That depends on the measurements. If you rotated the island 180°, you'd move it closer to the cabinets - but a good working aisle is 42 to 48". I don't know if you comfortably have room for seating on the other side, since that's a walkway.
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lharpie
last year
With 14’ you should be able to do a rectangle island with seating on pantry side without the funk! you’ll still get 4’ aisles….
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cat_ky
last year
I wouldnt do anything to it right now. If you try to move it, or rotate it etc, you will also have to do something with the floors. You can bet there is no flooring under the island.
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Rho Dodendron
last year
Wait at bit to redo the kitchen. You may hate having to walk around the funky shape.
herbflavor
last year
it looks like the original kitchen. the phrase "update" should be defined a bit more. I'd live with everything and plan a new kitchen. Give yourself 18mo for a serious improvement plant...Nice thing : there is space for a great kitchen. things like popcorn ceiling removal/ new floors/ whole house lighting plan come into play. the brick cooking alcove? the garden window? [they leak sometimes after a while] you have to look at all that stuff ..... so you wait and organize and prioritize. You want to improve/ maybe in phases. Its fine and spacious to live w for a while. [are the floor tiles missing grout? ..see grooves there]
KW PNW Z8
last year
From notes jotted on floorplan it looks like you’re wanting to move sink out of corner & built in ovens over to the brick column. Is that bar set up with sink staying? I think I’d change island to long rectangle. If base not being changed & flooring too, maybe the extended end would need columns / posts at end for the support. But with extended end & open underneath looks like seating would work at end & both sides. I wonder though if the current shape of island is meant to not block walkway path from the front door through to past pantry into kitchen. With a longer rectangle island it looks like that extended end would be visible from front door - is that an issue?
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PRO
Ariana Designs LLC
last year
I love the look of the island, but I'm not sure if you've ever had something similar in your home. Kitchens are a specific place in a home everyone has different ways of working and functioning in a kitchen, so I agree that you should perhaps try it out before breaking everything down and renovating as nice as it looks the funky island might be something you can't get used to. Doing a remodel once but doing it right is much better than having to go back and fix thing because you've realized that you can't function properly in your own space and enjoy it to it's fullest potential.
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PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
last modified: last year
I see no benfit for that shape in such a large kitchen but I trully believe you need to live in a space and see how everything functions for how you live.It looks like you have an indoor BBQ in most homes they do not meet code anymore that is just one of many items you will need to deal with . I think 3-6 months gives you ample time to see how things function then when you are ready you get an independant KD, not some cabinet salesperson, to design a space for how you use a kitchen.

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